Creativity

Saturday, November 29, 2014

I've been dreaming about ballet and ballerinas... it always happens around this time of year, with all the holiday ballets (Swan Lake, Nutcracker) being advertised.

As a little girl, I had my own visions of dancing around in beautiful slippers and pink tulle tutu, with a tiara on my dainty head....

I begged my mother for lessons, but we could not afford them. As refugees to the USA and not speaking the language, my parents struggled for many years just to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. Little did I know that my childish request for ballet lessons broke my mother's heart -- I would find this about many, many years later (about 30 or so). I assured Mami that their inability to pay for lessons really did not do any damage, nor diminish my enjoyment of my youth. It was a childhood fantasy....the same as my dream of being a beautiful bride, marching the down the aisle... or of owning a pony... or even having a twin sister (lol).

Doesn't almost every little girl dream of being a ballerina?

I recently acquired a couple of pairs of gentle used pointe shoes and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with them...

One pair was adorned with layers of pink tulle and rhinestones.... the other with silk ribbon and tiny, dainty pink millinery.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Beading, wires, clasps, pliers (how many different kinds are there?!?).... the whole jewelry-making experience has been one that I have been wanting to jump right into; but was afraid to. Maybe "afraid" is not the right choice of words... more like "I think I really, really suck at it, because everytime I pick up one of those plier thingies, I break out in hives." hmmmm.

I have dabbled a bit. Enough to know that I don't have a "natural" aptitude for it. It will take Work - lots of it - for me to become skillful with the pliers. I love the beading, the actual designing of the piece (after all, repurposing vintage jewelry into newer pieces has always been at the back of my mind when I purchase them).... but getting from A (materials) to Z (finished piece) is where I have some issues.

Lucky Me has had the opportunity to attend Karla's BirdSong event twice now. Both times, we've had a project which involved jewelry-making. Last year, I was fortunate to meet and sit next to the loveliest and most patient of all ladies, Lee, who held my hand along the way and never tired of explaining things to me. Don't get me wrong - the instructors for the classes were fabulous - the issue was on my end. Somehow, my hands couldn't perform the simple turning and twisting techniques that are required to produce a decent piece of jewelry. Oh, and did I mention that when I finally managed to finish something, the wiring seems to look a bit worse-for-wear? Not my proudest moment, for sure.

This past June, I attended BirdSong 4, and once again, a jewelry project was on the agenda. This time, a gorgeous bracelet designed by the incredibly talented Andrea Singarella. Talk about raising the bar!

I decided to stop being such a baby.... I mean, how many chances does one get to take a class from Andrea? So I took a deep breath.... and jumped in. I survived, thanks to Andrea's instructions, encouragement, and help from my table companions.

The end result was a wearable bracelet. Maybe not perfect - but definitely wearable and maybe (even) beautiful.

I was beaming and feeling just a tiny bit proud of myself.

So, dear friends, where does the story end?

The good news is that it doesn't end. I have been playing with pliers, wires and beads... and while I'm still very much a Novice, my hands are getting better at the twisting and turning techniques.

Here are a couple of my "novice" projects for your enjoyment.

..a necklace I have been working on...most of it is re-purposed sections from vintage pieces.

..a bracelet I made for my daughter. My inspiration was the bracelet we made at BirdSong4... this one combines newer and vintage pieces/beads.

Something else I discovered on this adventure.... photographing jewelry is really tough! The lighting has to be just right, and capturing the details is tricky.

My paper, textile, and mixed media projects have taken a back burner. My work table has been completely taken over by jewelry making. And the best part is that I no longer break out in hives when I see pliers....

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Mine is off to a wonderfully creative start! I cleared my schedule of all swaps and art group "to do's" so I could dedicate this summer to just creating to my heart's content... seeing where it leads me.

To start off with, I have so many beautiful vintage images that I had been itching to play with. I've combined them with my other passions (ribbons, lace, millinery) to create romantic, frou-frou, and feminine cards.

I'm calling them my "pretty fancy tags" because they are "pretty" and "fancy" or "pretty fancy!"

Some were made for friends, others are now available in my shoppe.

My next adventure will take me into the jewelry-making arena... stay tuned. I'm also working on a couple of projects to submit for publication... and several wedding custom orders.

In between all that, my husband and I have been invited to the Hamptons for the July 4th weekend, and my sweet mother and I are planning a girls' roadtrip to Texas in July... yay!

I'm just wanting to enjoy each day as it comes... and keep my fingers crossed that the summer doesn't fly by too quickly!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

I was first introduced to the dainty, vintage pincushion project via a swap I participated in a while back. The idea was to select a "base" for out pincushion (think tiny teacup, planter, toothpick holder, etc.), add padding to the opening to create a pincushion, then embellish to your heart's content!

The results were adorable, not to mention practical. It is also one of those "instant gratification" projects that you can finish in one sitting and don't have to pre-plan.

If you do any type of crafting, you will probably need a pincushion (or two) at some point!

I was hooked!

I scoured my "inventory" for tiny containers I could use...

~a shoe with a tiny doggy~

~a sweet yellow/white swan.~

~a tiny teacup/saucer~

~a cute blue basket~

They all received a makeover and are now enjoying a second life as a pincushion in one of my swap friends' home.

There were many others..... then my temporary addiction wore off.

Until recently, when I was coming up with ideas for swaps to host for Mother's Day in our Mixed Media Artists Guild group. The dainty pincushions sprang to mind... and off I went!

My swap partner this time around was the very talented JoAnne. I wanted to make something really special for her and I didn't have anything in my inventory that was "worthy."

When I saw this dainty little shoe, with it's soft blue shade and the faded gold trim, I just knew I had found the perfect base for JoAnne's pincushion! It reminded me of Marie Antoinette... and I know that JoAnne loves all things Marie.

It was so pretty already that I didn't have to add much ~ some pretty vintage lace for the pincushion, silk ribbon in a matching shade, vintage pearls...

Thursday, April 03, 2014

My studio has been a flurry of Spring creativity recently... now it is just a mess.

A beautiful mess.

I know I have to clean it up... but I love seeing the remnants of Spring creations.

It seems that just about every swap I was participating in called for a nest of some kind~~handmade nests, altered nests, store-bought nests (not my favorite). I experimented a bit, traveled outside my comfort zone, and it was quite the adventure.

These are a few of my favorites:

Okay, not really a nest.... more like a lace "basket" NESTING Springtime gifts.

This basket was put together for my partner in the Spring ribbon and flower swap I hosted at An Altered Place.

This next one IS a NEST.

A handmade nest sits in a pretty vintage glass compote.

The further I went along in putting it together, the more enamored I became with it.

I call it my "romantic nest" and it was hard to part with it... but I know that its new owner will enjoy it just as much.

My next nest was tiny... small enough to fit inside the smaller peat pots.

This little darling was made for another darling, my daughter, Bianca. She is a very busy law student who loves pretty things made by her mama. In fact, she almost expects some handmade little item each season... something to grace her apartment and remind her of Home (smile).

Another peat pot with nest to share with you ~ this one is enroute to Japan, where my swap partner resides.

Isn't that cool? I have to say it again, how much I love swapping these little pieces of "art" with like-minded friends all across the globe!

The little Spring fairy stands inside a nest, amongst the pretty flowers, eggs and even a pink chick. Isn't she darling?

Yet another Spring peat pot (hey, I guess this post is all about NESTS and PEAT POTS...) this one was created for JoAnne's "A tisket, a tasket, An Easter Altered Peat Pot Basket" event.

Instead of filling the altered peat pot with the Spring goodies, I decided to go with a topiary, featuring a handmade little bluebird (from felt). (The goodies, of course, were still included, but separately!)

...the greeting came directly from a 1940's Easter greeting card... which I cut (gasp! that was hard to do)... I tried to photocopy/scan and reprint, but didn't like how it looked. The original card was printed on this pretty peachy paper with a watermark, which the photocopy couldn't capture.

My partner was the sweet and talented Lorraine... which I am always thrilled to be partnered with because her creations are always breathtaking.

This one was no exception.

Isn't it beautiful?!?

Lorraine and I had similar inspiration for this swap, as we both ended up with birdie topiaries. Great minds think alike, right? lol

Thank you, Lorraine, for this precious little piece of Art!

Whew!

I think those are all the nests and peat pots for now... thanks for endulging me!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

It is officially Spring...the birds are chirping, the sky is blue, the hyacinths and early-blooming tulips are starting to peek through the earth... ahhh.

Goodbye Winter.

Wait a minute...

I just looked out my window and I don't see any hyacinths or tulips. In fact, my "earth" is still white, covered with snow. The sky is blue (that's a good thing) - but it has a 21 degree temp to go with it. Hmmm. Something is wrong with this "Spring" picture.

So while I wait for true Spring to arrive here in Minnesota, I have been (somewhat) content with preparing for Easter by decorating my home and working on Spring/Easter craft projects.

It seems that every year about this time, I get the urge to play with eggs.

I love buying a bagful of plain little eggs and adding bits and pieces of lace, ribbon and millinery left over from prior projects.

These eggs are not for the minimalist.... they are a bit decadent, with all their frou-frou finery.

While I like "plain" eggs, I just can't seem to resist the urge to pretty them up a bit.

I've also been making pretty Easter tags using vintage images.

I made some extra ones to gift to friends for Easter...

and a few are available for sale in my Etsy shoppe (these come in sets of 3 with a handmade tag).

Many many Easters ago (maybe 20?), I handpainted actual eggs. I gave one to my mother, another to my dear Mother-in-Law, and kept two or three. These are so fragile, that over that years, they have cracked/broken ~ so I'm down to just this one.

When I look at the teeny tiny details, I'm still amazed that I had the patience to paint these!

Monday, March 10, 2014

My bird wreath was made from a kit I had purchased from Karla a while back. Working on this birdie wreath was the perfect therapy to wash away the Winter blahs and put me in the Spring mood.

Karla's tutorials are always detailed (but not too much) and easy to follow. She has the ability to take something simple (like wire) and create a beautiful project.

The kit included everything I needed to make it~ so many pretties in that box! It was fun to just pull each item out! She always packs her kits with the "good stuff" that's for sure.

My wreath didn't turn out quite the way I wanted... I feel the wires need to be a bit more "wild" and loose. I tend to be a bit too "structured" with my designs and I need to let go a bit; but it was still fun to make.

After "mastering" the whole wire wreath thing ... lol... I created a smaller version with a butterflies theme for a swap I was hosting over at An Altered Place.

For this swap, we had to use paper butterflies as our main attraction....

Starting with the wire wreath, I added the butterflies, some tiny millinery in the softest shades of peach, cream and blue, smaller tendrils of wire with beads...

A few touches of "bling" here and there~ some ribbons...

It is smaller (11" diameter) and delicate-looking... it was a bit hard to part with it. However, it makes me smile to know that my swap partner, Kelly, is enjoying it in her own home.

I'm already planning a few others to give to friends as a "welcome Spring" gift.

It's been such a long and frigid winter around here that we are all ready to embrace Spring in all its glory.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

When I updated my studio recently (putting away the Christmas and holiday decor and displays) and started working on St. Valentine's projects, I couldn't help but notice how many pretty things I have received over the years from my creative friends.

I like to display these gifts according to the season. The feeling I get is similar to the one I experience when I open the Christmas ornaments boxes each year.... lots of "uhhhhs" and "aahhhs" and re-admiration of the details.

I rediscover each of these little works of art.

The newest additions get their spot (this tiny quilt heart was a recent swap extra).

Tiny perfection.

Some of these creative friends I have never met personally... we have swapped through various groups for several years, but have never had the joy of meeting face to face.

One of my goals this year is to "meet" a few of these special ladies.

Their beautiful projects surround me as I sit at my desk and create.

Little beauties tucked here and there... and everywhere!

They are a constant inspiration for my creativity.

They make my heart smile.

(I'm sharing today with Beverly's Pink Saturday - it's been too, too long since I partied with these ladies!)

Monday, July 29, 2013

This morning, I looked at my calendar and realized that the summer has flown by... ! I have scarcely three weeks of my summer vacation left before school resumes and it's back to the "real" world. Gone will be the lazy mornings of drinking my cafe-con-leche on the porch, listening to the birds chirping, gazing over my garden and admiring the new blooms of the day.... ahhh.

I had have so many "to do" lists for this summer! At the very top of these lists was my constant need to create, to make beautiful things (according to my perspective on what is "beautiful")....to work on setting up the launch of my vintage rentals business (which included inventory, photographing, website)... re-organizing my studio (done!)... submitting several pieces for publication (finishing up and submitting this week!)... deciding in which direction I want to take my artwork/creations (easier said than done)... doing a better job of networking and connecting with local ladies who love the very same things I do and who have similar goals (work in progress)... and the list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, it has been a productive summer, and it did help to actually write down these goals.

Seeing them on paper really made me realize that I CAN DO THIS.

They are not unachievable "pie in the sky" type of goals!

I just needed to actually start.

Completing several pieces to submit for publication has been a goal for 2013. Actually, my goal is to get published; but as my husband gently put it "Mercedes, how can you get published if you don't submit anything?"

I have two projects that I am really excited about - here's a tiny glimpse.

(there is a muslin challenge at Somerset Studio.... so there's been ALOT of muslin strewn about my studio recently)

..and lots of sewing going on!

I've also been a bit busy with swaps, mostly for "An Altered Place" group. I recently started moderating for them and hosting more swaps, which has been quite fun.

Ordinary soup cans got a new look with beautiful vintage textiles and a bit of bling... and viola! ... now they are storage containers for my partners' studios/workspace.

Several of the swaps had an ocean theme. I had fun with fishies, mermaids, seashells.... all the things we think of when we think of Summer.

Mermaid Fabric Tags

Bathing Beauties Tag

"Under the Sea" ATC

"Clipboard" tags series

This series has been one of my favorite projects. I am loving the color scheme and the Teresa Collins and My Mind's Eye products!

Well, I'm off to package my submissions and get them in the mail (yay).

Sunday, June 30, 2013

This week was full of fun activities and projects preparing for July 4th...

I hosted a red/white/blue pennant swap for The Altered Place group.

We were to make a pennant for each of our three swap partners...

(these are the pennants I made and sent)

I also made two extras to keep....

I recently found some Mahjong tiles at an estate sale and decided to make some patriotic pendants to send to my swap partners....

We received three pennants in return from different artists.

Part II of the swap then required that we combine our pennants to make a July 4th banner.

This is how I put my pennants together; the three beautiful ones I received from Amy, Carol and Evelyn - combined with two extra ones I made for myself.

I used beautiful doilies as my background... they really help the red/white/blue details of the pennants pop.

My mantle, which is usually oh-so-shabby with pink and white, is now very patriotic with its beautiful banner and blue/white transferware plates!

UPDATE: Well, I had everything set up on Friday... took some photos (seen above)...then left the house for a few hours.

When I got home, I discoverd that my dog--Luna, had decided to play a bit with the banner.

I found it dismantled, on the floor! A few pieces of ribbon and some buttons were missing (!?!?!)...

So, after a few adjustments, the banner went up higher (minus one pennant).

I'm just glad she is okay... my heart skipped a beat when I saw what she had been up to. I had visions of running to the vet to get x-rays and surgery to dislodge certain things that shouldn't be ingested.

Monday, June 17, 2013

I hosted a rosette swap which required that you make a fabric rosette to display a vintage bird pin (going with the BirdSong theme).

We had such fun opening the packages and watching everyone's excpression as they opened their rosettes; each so unique and beautiful!

We had just about every color of the rainbow.... every technqiue used to make the rosettes....every possible material... some were very frou-frou (like mine)...while others were more organic and simple.

(this beauty ended up coming home with me! Made by the talented Sharon.)

I heard from several ladies that the challenge had been finding just the right pin; I couldn't agree more!

(my rosette, all packaged up and ready to go)

I struggled with my bird pin, and ended up attaching is to a doily which I added to my rosette. This made it rather heavy and floppy, but luckily, the pin was easily removed and wasn't a permanent attachment.

The overall effect of my rosette was more like a medallion... lots of ribbons hanging... you know me, I can't stop at "simple!"